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Feb. 7, 1956 EL|QT CAR PARKING SYSTEM AND STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed June 18, 1948 INVENTOR.

A TT'ORNEYS Feb. 7, 1956 w, ELIQT 2,733,819

CAR PARKING SYSTEM AND STRUCTURE IN VEN TOR.

im: jclwLm' A T TOPNE YS CAR PARKING SYSTEM AND STRUCTURE William Mack Eliot, Houston, Tex.

Original application June 18, 1948, Serial No. 33,903, now Patent No. 2,663,435, dated December 22, 1953. Divided and this application March 16, 1953, Serial No. 342,671

2 Claims. (Cl. 21416.1)

This application is a divisional application of my copending application for car parking system and structure, now Patent No. 2,663,435, granted December 22, 1953, the invention herein disclosed relating to a multi-storied parking structure and to a system of parking loads therein, especially mobile loads such as automobiles and trucks.

It is an object of this invention to provide a parking structure of this class in which a traction means supported by the structure has an elevator suspended therefrom so that the traction means may move the elevator and the loads therein horizontally, and so that the elevator may move the loads vertically into alignment with the desired story floor.

it is a further object of this invention to provide a structure of this class in which elevator guides are sup ported from the traction means and are transported thereby.

It is another object of this invention to provide such structure with a way extending substantially parallel with the direction of traction and engageable by the elevator guides for the purpose of holding the elevator in alignment with the traction means and with the elevator aisle axis.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a structure of this class in which the elevator and elevator guides are pivotally suspended from a traction means to provide compensation for any misalignment between the axis of the way and the traction means and its supports.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a structure of this class in which the elevator has either slidable or rolling means thereon for maintaining contact with the elevator guides.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a structure of this class in which the elevator guides have either slidable or rolling means thereon for maintaining contact with the way.

It is also an object of this invention to provide structures of this class which may have aisles therein in which elevator and elevator guides are suspended for transportation therealong and for vertical motion therein to provide access of elevator loads to the load storage spaces of every floor.

It is a further object of this invention to provide structures of this class in which elevator floors may be brought into alignment with the story floors within such limits that the elevators do not bind the aisle sides and so that there is a minimum interspace left between floors to permit easy passage of loads thereover.

Other and further objects of this invention will be obvious when the specification is considered in connection with the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation taken transversely of a parking structure;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional fragmentary elevation taken along line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional elevation taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

nited States Patent f ice Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional elevation taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional plan taken along line 55 of Fig. 4.

In this invention a building structure 1 is shown having an entrance driveway 2 which leads to a car or loadreceiving area 3 which terminates in an aisle 4, on the other side of which is a car or load-delivery area 5 which communicates with the exit driveway 6 on the exterior of the structure.

In the form of this invention disclosed, the aisle 4 terminates below the first floor level in an aisle floor 13. The structure may have any number of intermediate floors 7, one being shown in Fig. 1, and a top floor 8, above which is the roof 9, which supports a cupola 10. Beams 11 are located on the roof 9 adjacent the aisles to provide tracks for a transmission means such as a bridge crane 12.

The means for operating the elevator 20 and bridge crane 12 are not shown but these elements would logically be mounted on the bridge crane 12, behind the guard 16, and supplied from a source of electric power in the conventional manner.

The elevator 20 is shown suspended from the bridge crane 12 by suspension lines 14 which are reeved through pulleys 15 mounted on the elevator top 48 for actuation by the elevator operating means beneath the guard 16. The elevator control is not shown, but would be located behind the elevator side plate 19, and the electric control line 13 is shown extending therefrom up to the bridge crane 12 to actuate the elevator operating means.

In order to maintain the elevator in alignment as the bridge crane 12 carries it down the aisle 4, elevator guides 21 are provided for pivoted suspension from the crane, and these guides extend to substantially the bottom of the aisle 4. A track or way 22 is provided on the aisle floor 13, and such way is adapted to receive rollers 23 which extend from the bottom plate 24 of the guides 21 and are supported for rotation from this plate.

The guides 21 on either side of the elevator are tied together at the bottom by channels 25 and at the top by channels 26. This construction of guides and crosschannels results in a yoke unit 30. When this yoke 30 is pivotally, rather than rigidly, suspended from the bridge crane 12, a flexibility is obtained which permits compensation for any misalignment which may occur between the bridge crane axis of motion and its supporting track 11 and the way 22 in the aisle floor 13.

Any operative means may be employed to permit the yoke 30 to pivot transversely of the longitudinal axis of the way 22 and the bridge crane 12, and two forms by which this may be accomplished are disclosed in the drawings.

A gusset or pin plate 27 may be welded to both sides of the bridge crane base 17, as shown in Fig. 2. Holes are then drilled into the channels 28 and I-beams 29, which form the guides, and then pins 31 are welded in these holes. The pin ends 33 are then inserted in holes 32 in the pin plates 27, and the channels 25 and 26 are then bolted to the guides to complete the assembly of yoke 30 with the bridge crane 12. The pins 31 may be welded to the plates 27 and journalled in the guides 21 t accomplish the same functions. 1

A second construction, not shown, may consist of drilled pin plates on both guides 21 and bridge crane base 17 which constitute the journal members into which pins may be inserted to pivotally connect yoke 30 and bridge crane base 17.

With any of these constructions, in case the track beam 11 or the way 22 become warped or shifted in position, the pivotability of the yoke 30 about the bridge crane 12 compensates therefor so that the crane continues to ride 2,7se,s19

he trackbeams. 11 without. binding against either ,side of the track or without tendingto jump off of the track.

Compensation is also provided for any vertical warpage,v of i the track :beams 11 resulting in portions thereof being higher than other portions, since. the rollers 23 mayslide. along the, inner faces 3410f the way 22 at dif ferent elevations.

The channel 28:and..the, inner I-beamflange 38. are shown cut away just below GhaHIllL26 so that only. the I-bcam W6b 39 BXtGHdSzbfiiM-[GEII the. channels 26 and is bolted thereto. In turn, the channels 26 are shown extending just short of the outer I-beam flange 41.

The contact between the elevator 20 and the elevator guides 2L maybe maintained by any slidable engagement therehetwcent. In the; form-disclosed Fig.5, rollers 42';-and .43. are mounted in the'toprim 4 and bottom rim-3'7; of the eleyator lt) .to contact the fianges 45 of chann,el 218.s Also, rollers46 are mounted for rotation onthebrackets 47, which are fixed to the elevator top 48 :and bottom 51 toposition the roller 4-6 in rollingcontact with the back 49 of the channel 28.

The structure of this invention is especially adapted for employment in the center of cities. Where only a limited street frontage may be available as the entrance for cars whichare to be parked in garage space extending longitudinally and parallel with the street and behind business buildings which from on the street. In such cases the cars may drive into the load receiving area 3, which is the width of the narrowv street entrance 2, not shown, and; from this pointvthe cars are driven on to the elevator 20! The elevator may then be raised to any floor level, and it is possible to do this while the bridge crane 12 may at the same time be moving the elevator 20 horizontally down the aisle 4.to any storage space 46 whereit may be desired to unload the car.

The elevator may be of a Width to receive a plurality of cars and the storage spaces 7 may extend from the aisle for the length of a plurality of cars. With this arrangement, if it is desired to obtain a first car parked outwardly from-the aisle and in front of a second car parked next to the aisle, the second car could be backed onto the elevator 20; then the, elevator 29, could be moved horizontally one car space so that the first car could then be backed onto the elevator adjacent the second car. After this, the elevator could beimoved horizontally back to where the second car was originally backed thereon so that this car could be driven back into its original Pa k n p ce.

With the structure of this. invention it is not necessary to have the sides 53 of the elevator sliding in contact with any guide means allixed to the aisle sides 54, as is necessary in other parking structures. The method of piyotally suspending the guide means from the traction means itself so that theguides are carried along horizontally by the tractionmeans does away with the difficulties previously encountered due to the variations of the transverse differences between guides on opposite sides of the aisle; When such variations were at all pronounced, an elevator which'would easily pass upwardly or horizontally along one part of the aisle might bind against guides in another part of the aisle which were closer together.

With thisinvention a small interspace 55 may be left between elevator floor 56 and the story floors, and such space maybe-predetermined of such a width to compensate for any variations in aisle width which maybe enco n ere I s 'P JIQ t ha h on n uard rails car. stops which could obviously be required for elevator operation have been omitted for purposes of clarity.

Although thedrawings-of this invention disclose a structure in which the elevator moves down an aislecentrally'of-parking spaces on either side thereof; this invent-ion is alsoapplicable to structures-and to conditions where heremay banalx torage nace n. onevside. f he. passage down which the elevator passes.

In cases where it is desired to have the vehicles enter and depart by the same paths, any well known turntable means may be incorporated with the elevator to accomplish this purpose.

The way 22,may be moved from place to place, and the building itself, together with the bridge crane and track unit, may be constructed to be easily taken down, moved, and reassembled. Also the feature by which the guides 21 are bolted to the cross channels 26 and 25 in assembly to form the yoke 30. in suspension from the bridge crane 12, results in the facile dismantlement of these elements. These features, taken together, result in a parking or storage structure which is adapted to be moved and set up in new locations, as when real estate values in the business centers of cities prohibit the further use of space thereinfor such purposes.

This invention is not limited to the specific traction means andelevator suspensions hereinbefore shown and described, but other conventional. and suitable types may be used. The elevator may-be suspended from trolley hoists mounted on trolley beams supported. from, and below building portions extending above the passageway downwhich the elevator moves horizontally. Also, the traction means may move down a top .floor or roof por tion and have a cantilever arm extending therefrom to support theeleyator for suspension and motion down a passageway adjacentand parallel to the areadown which he trac ion meansm v s.

It is also not considered that the point of yoke suspensiorrneed only be above the traction means, but pivotal suspension may be obtained therefor by supporting the yoke below the traction means, as byrods extending downwardly from traction means to yoke. In such con struction, the inherent flexibility of the rods will constitute the source of yoke pivotability.

Broadly, this invention considers a parking or storage system whereby loads may be received and moved both horizontally andvertically to storage spaces from which they may later be transported both horizontally and vertically for delivery from the storage-structure,

This invention also broadly considers such a system in which the elevating meansin which, the loads are trans ported is pivotally supported by the traction means he efor,

What is claimed is:

1. In a multistoried storage structure having. a group.

of storage spaces arranged in; superposed longitudinal rows, an aisle common to said-spaces, a pair of longitudinaltrackstransverselyspaced apart at opposite sides of said aisle and above, theuPPcrmostrow ofstorage spaces, a traveling bridge crane spanning said aisle with opposite ends riding on said spaced apart side tracks for-travel along the longitudinal rows of storage: spaces, a pair of dependent eleyatorguiderails having trunnion pinsuspension connection at, their upper ends with the bridging crane and centrally of the transverse dimension of said aisle and which confine relative movement between the guide rails and the bridge crane to, that about an axis parallel to thelongitudinal path of. travel of said bridge, crane, an elevator having guide connections with said vertical guide rails and being operatively suspended from-the bridge crane forvertical travel between the superposed rows'of storage spaces and longitudinally extending way means below the-lowermost row of storage-spaces and extending parallel to said path of travel ofthe bridge crane as a guide bearing for the lower ends of said vertical guide rails for accommodating relative longitudinal and vertical motion of said lower ends while restraining free oscillation of the guide rails about their upper trunnion' pin suspension means: e

2. In a multi:storied storage structure having a hatchway, transversely spaced tracks extending longitudinally in the uppermost region of the hatchway and on opposite 5 sides of the longitudinal center line thereof, a bridge crane spanning the hatchway and having longitudinally spaced apart supporting members on each side thereof in riding guide engagement with said spaced tracks, longitudinally spaced apart elevator guide rails extending vertically of the hatchway in the transverse central region thereof, trunnion pin connector means between said bridge crane and the upper ends of said guide rails hingedly suspending the vertical guide rails on a longitudinally extending axis for relative rocking adjustment in a direction transverse to the longitudinal extent of the hatchway, and a lower longitudinally extending way engaging the lower ends of the guide rails and restraining their oscillation away from the vertical, said suspension trunnion pin connector means operating to relieve racking d 1 strains by the accommodation of relative transverse rocking movement of the vertical guide rails and the bridge crane without transmission of leverage forces one to the other due to misaligned relations between the longitudinally extending lower way and upper tracks.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 292,265 Stoddard Ian. 22, 1884 303,337 Stoddard Aug. 12, 1884 1,614,905 Tunison Jan. 18, 1927 1,927,677 Bennington Sept. 19, 1933 2,511,619 Bowser June 13, 1950 2,663,435 Eliot Dec. 22, 1953 2,664,993 Mullen et a1. Ian. 5, 1954 

